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Ukrainian Defense Forces’ unmanned systems units neutralized more than 33,000 Russian troops in December, a figure comparable to Russia’s monthly mobilization rate, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine General Oleksandr Syrskyi said.
According to Syrskyi, the number includes only losses confirmed by video, while actual Russian casualties are higher. In December, Ukrainian unmanned aerial systems carried out around 339,000 combat missions, while ground robotic systems completed nearly 2,100 tasks.
He noted that Ukraine’s drone capabilities expanded significantly over the past year, with further growth planned for 2026. At the same time, Ukrainian military intelligence reports that Russia is rapidly expanding its unmanned forces. Russian drone units currently number about 80,000 personnel, with plans to increase to 165,500 in 2026 and nearly 210,000 by 2030.
Syrskyi also said Russia’s military-industrial complex exceeded its annual long-range drone production target by 106%, producing more than 400 long-range drones per day.
The Commander-in-Chief emphasized that in modern warfare, superiority in the quantity and quality of unmanned systems is decisive, and Ukraine continues to maintain an advantage in FPV drone usage. The Armed Forces of Ukraine are also forming specialized units tasked with detecting and destroying enemy drone formations, command centers, and UAV crews.
